Wizard Woes
by Writer Woes
Summary: Misery, Frank and Len get tongue cramps just before the second round of the Superstar Talent Competition in the Horrorlayas. Luckily, Skull Boy is related to a long line of singers that induce swooning with their breathtaking voices. Too bad he and Poe go on a hot-air balloon ride, crash land and accidentally enroll the young skeleton in Wizard School!
1. To the Horrorlayas!

_**Wizard Woes**_

Misery hated shopping in Gloomsville's residential supermarket.

Why was her name were drawn out of Poe's hat when the gang was deciding which pair should get the groceries?

Oh right, her bad luck... and not the good type of bad luck like creating pretty glaciers or seeing interesting lightning streaks that seem to be directed at her. This belonged under the bad type of bad luck... like not getting any banana muffins or getting a D for gym.

Misery had even threatened Ruby with hearing her great, great, great grandmother's great, great, great aunt's recount of the Carolean Death March in 1719 if the perky goth actually made her go there but apparently, Ruby had heard the tale before.

However, Misery loves company and she was slightly glad that Scaredy Bat was chosen to accompany her.

Slightly... not even the company of her best friends could make her feel any better about doing the grocery shopping.

Realizing Misery's bad mood, Scaredy whizzed off to the terribly arranged trolleys near the entrance. With much effort, he fumbled gauchely to steer the hefty metal cart.

The gargantuan supermarket was bursting at its seams with people. Aisles with towering shelves of canned food and arrays of groceries were congested with families. Many fathers were holding baskets that were full to the brim with groceries while babysitting their young kids. Countless women were doing meticulous shopping and pushing their overflowing trolleys around.

They had decided to commence from a section far away from the vegetables. The garlic was too much for them. It was amazing how Ruby could conjure up scrumptious dishes with that vile vegetable. They also wanted to be far away from the fishes, particularly Scaredy Bat. He was easily freaked out by their bulging eyes.

Moving on swiftly to the other aisles, their trolley was soon crammed with victuals.

"Okay! Time for the last item, canned drinks!" Misery declared. Scaredy sighed in relief upon hearing the words, 'last item'.

An empty trolley was already exigent for the puny bat. Now that the trolley was at its full capacity, he was literally summoning all of his energy in his puny frame to push it.

Noticing the poor little bat's trouble, Misery decide to take the trolley.

"Are you sure, Misery? I am afraid that you might get hurt!"Scaredy Bat gulped, the fur on his neck standing at attention. Were it not for his purple scarf, it would have been obvious to everyone around them.

"I'll get hurt, Scaredy, whether I move the trolley around or not."Misery reminded him and once Scaredy Bat assured her that he was not going to pass out, she gave a hard thrust to the trolley to press ahead at full speed.

"Watch out for that...!"His sharp shrill in a distance.

Too late.

An earth-shattering tumble ensued.

A tower of canned drinks came crashing to the ground!

The bulk of them landed in the trolley, exploding and spurting gaseous liquid onto the poor banshee.

Countless cans rolled along the alley like scurrying mice, stopping many customers dead in their tracks. Hundred pairs of eyes of onlookers were fixated on the duo. Some of their shoulders shook with subdued giggles. Some decided to take action and help Misery get on her feet before calling the manager.

Misery was sodden with soda. Her hair hung limp, dripping sweet syrup. Her clothes were stained pink.

Whipping out some tissue paper from his tiny backpack he always carried around for emergencies like twittering birds, he dashed towards the soaked unlucky girl and apologized profusely for not cautioning her earlier of the obstacle that Misery had collided into,

"Are you okay, Misery? I'm so sorry! I should have warned you earlier but I was so terrified by the supermarket!"

"It's okay, bad things always happen to me whenever we're in the supermarket. Like my Aunt Morose...well...I think..."

Before Misery could decide whether the incident was reminiscent of her Aunt Morose's "Great Crash of 1849", a flyer hit her face.

Scaredy Bats was so engrossed with reading the flyer, that he did not acknowledge the store cleaner coming forward, bristling with anger. As he muttered epithets under his breath, Scaredy Bat gasped,

"Look Misery!

"Attention to all aspiring singers, song writers, and musicians of any sorts! If you're looking to become the next superstar, then you should enter the Superstar Talent Competition! Just send in an audition video today and you could be on your way to stardom!" The sparkly words screamed.

"It sounds like something RIP could enter...if they don't mind that is...!"He squealed before realizing that he did not know their reaction.

* * *

He got quite an enthusiastic reaction, consisting of the rocker brothers whooping how great the news was. He and the rest even got to see Frank and Len do a small dance while holding a bottle of sour cream rather precariously above two tacos. Two tacos made of jelly beans, cheddar cheese and some left over steak.

Glad to see their enthusiasm, Ruby grinned,

"This is great news! Where is it being held?"

"Let me check."

Scaredy's bag laid at his tiny feet now, crooked with haste and tipped gently with the weight of its contents.

He dug into his tiny bag, throwing away things on the floor, including his rotting but still 'fear-resistant' crumpet which hit Doom right on the face.

After Ruby cleaned a slightly irritated Doom Kitty with a small towel Scaredy Bat tossed to the perky goth, they all leaned forward. Curiosity sparked throughout the gang. Even Misery forgot about her own great crash, now that she was dried up and dying to know more about the competition. She really wanted R.I.P. to win.

"Here it is!"He held the flyer up, giving it the brothers.

"Woah, it's in one of the coldest places in the world, Horrolayas. Temperatures there can reach to...er...Skull Boy?"Frank arched an eyebrow, wanting to hear an answer from the young skeleton.

"Skull Boy? Well, I guess he is very cold but he's our best friend so we can just bear with it!"Len smiled.

Before Skull Boy could decide whether to scowl or smile, Frank and Len were already knuckling his skull with maniacal fervor. Skull Boy shrugged out of their hold with a yelp of disgust, rubbing at his tender skull.

"Ouch, cut that out, thanks and the temperature there is usually 10 degrees Celsius."Skull Boy smirked.

"He's right, I've been there before."Misery and Iris echoed the same words.

"The mountains there are so high that you can actually touch the moon. Then the ice shines like silver at night, the trees are full of starlight. It's a great place to go ice sailing, skiing, climbing, shooting yourself out of a cannon, sky-diving and eat sandwiches."Iris exclaimed, beginning to paint a mystical, spectacular land.

"Ooooh."Everyone enthused.

Doom Kitty gave a 'thumbs-up' sign with her tail.

"I couldn't climb a mountain without being attacked by the usual, dangerous animals like wolves and bears."Misery sullenly stated, suddenly marring Iris' painting with frightening creatures.

"Oh."Everyone grimaced.

Doom Kitty pretended to be strangled to death by coiling her tail around her neck before dropping to the ground.

"Look on the bright side, this is a great opportunity for R.I.P., it's your ticket to fame and you guys have trained yourselves for this. Meanwhile, we will support you and help you relax. Also, if we every want to check out the scenery, we can take a hot-air balloon ride. We can see everything with a bird's eye-view...without being attacked. Furthermore, we will have a pilot with us, one with magical powers so he can transport us safely in case we crash-land."Ruby quickly got regained her optimism after being temporarily shaken by Misery's tale.

Misery started to argue that point but then knit her brows in a befuddled frown and snapped her mouth closed. Ruby's optimism was contagious and just because she had horrid luck does not mean she was a pessimistic person... most of the time. She could see the light at the end of every long, very dark tunnel...with the help of her friends.

"So, who's coming?"Frank cheered.

"Well, I'm going. Besides, I think I left my torchlight there."Misery's lips actually twitched and curved upwards like the crescent moon before turning into her usual upside-down smile.

Ignoring a cracking sound nearby, Iris raised her hand,

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Me! Me!"

"I guess I can chaperone this trip...after all, along this journey, you will encounter many obstacles and only I know how to overcome them...but we aren't taking any trains, are we?"Poe gulped.

"Nope, to get there, we have to take a plane."Skull Boy said, still reading the flyer.

"P-plane?"Scaredy Bat trembled like a leaf.

"Don't worry, Scaredy, I'll be sitting next to you. You won't be alone."Ruby reassured him.

After Scaredy breathed a huge sigh of relief, he agreed with a small nod.

"Doom? Skull Boy?"Ruby asked.

Much to everyone's shock, Skull Boy and Doom had already packed, each carrying duffel bags ten times larger than both of them.

When they stepped into the kitchen, everyone literally froze. Though only eight people were present, they felt like the entire world was staring them down. Skull Boy gulped.

"Why are you guys staring at us?" Skull Boy wondered aloud. Doom scooted closer to him, smooshing Mr Buns between their ankles.

A beat.

"Oh, yeah, we want to go."Skull Boy simply stated.

"Yes! To the Horrorlayas!"Len cheered as he and Frank let out their coolest guitar rift.


	2. Skull's Hands

**_Wizard Woes_**

It was official.

R.I.P. (Rest in Pieces) had made it to round two of the competition.

The competition spanned across 3 rounds consisting of 3 different shows. The auditions themselves were round one.

It was unbelievable! Being high up in the skies, cruising to the heavenly...or horrifying...Horrorlayas. Their seat was next to the window and they could see the distant lights of the Horrorlayas Resort. It was quite smart of them to place the resort at the airport itself.

Something about flying there made reality sink in for the conjoined brothers and the little bat. They had a chance to make it big in the music industry. Sure, R.I.P was well-known in Gloomsville but not by the WORLD. If they won, they would be superstars. They would get everything they wanted. Their parents would be so proud of them, watching them on television, making 1859 copies of every newspaper article about them and mailing those copies out to every single one of their relatives across the world. Best of all, everyone would listen to their music.

But what if they lost?

The moment they thought about being JUST a participant in the competition made their wistful smiles turn upside down. There was a HUGE chance that they could lose. After all, only 3 more bands were coming. The judges were being super strict. 2 bands will be eliminated during the second round. If the judges shook their heads at them, if the audience threw apples at them...

Of course, Frank and Len could easily conceal their distress but Ruby noticed that they were panicking. One moment, they would smile, then the next, frown, then they would eat their 'horrible' peanuts, sleep for 5 minutes plagued with nightmares, play Truth or Dare with Misery and Doom, reassure a bouncing Iris that they were almost there, watch Poe and Skull Boy play a sedate game of chess and the cycle would start all over again.

However, Scaredy could not hide how frightened he was at the thought of failing. Flying at such a high altitude did not help allay his fears. He began trembling like a leaf, his heart started beating crazily, his mouth went dry and his tiny wings became drenched with sweat.

On top of everything else, his beady eyes started to bulge, making the bat look like a fish who has just discovered that he was on the menu for dinner.

"Nervous huh?"Ruby probed.

"Yes...is it okay? I can try not to be...not really...but I can try."

"Scaredy, it's okay to be nervous. Whenever you enter a competition, you are bound to get some butterflies. That goes for you two, Frank and Len. My point is that you just need to have fun. Maybe you will be inspired by some things there. Just remember, everyone here has your back and you gotta work your dream."

"Wait...say that again?"Frank straightened.

"Maybe you will be inspired by some things there?"Ruby arched an eyebrow.

"Not the line I wanted but good lyrics. Just like the last line, when you said that we had to remember that everyone here has our back back...!"Frank paused to let it all sink in their brains.

...

"And we gotta work our dream."Len realized.

"Exactly...see? You guys are already doing that. It's a good idea..."Ruby nodded slowly.

"Still nervous...but I'm also excited now."Scaredy Bat smiled, happy with the progress they were making...of course, it would be even better to know that they were landing now.

Noticing that Scaredy was still terrified, Ruby squeezed his shoulders.

"Maybe you will feel better after drinking some water, Scaredy. If it worked for Misery who was worried about her missing emergency supplies, it should help your nerves. Skull Boy, can you please get a glass of water?"Ruby quickly turned to the skeleton who was just behind her.

"Sure!"Skull Boy chirped, still happy that he took Poe's knight and beat the crow who was still nursing his bruised ego.

He quickly got out a bottle of water he kept in his bag.

"Here you go!"

It was a simple gesture, holding out the water bottle for Scaredy to take. So everyone was surprised when a sinuous ribbon of water from the drinking glass in Skull Boy's bony hand went straight towards Scaredy. If Misery were

Just before the bat was about to be doused with water, Skull Boy tried to make a fruitless attempt to get Scaredy out of the missile's way.

"Oh no!" The skeleton cried and was preparing to see a soaked Scaredy Bat...but all he heard was something crashing. Everyone around him gasped.

It had turned from water to ice in just a minute, and instead of inflicting any damage, it had just dropped to the floor.

"Woah."

"What just happened?"Ruby wondered aloud.

Skull Boy did not respond for a moment. He was even oblivious to Scaredy holding his leg tightly, as if it was his lifesaver. All he could do was stare at his right hand, the perpetrator. He had always used his right hand for wielding tools, reading books, painting, sculpting...basically, he has used it his entire life and while he had no idea about himself, he knew his hand never did anything like this.

"I...have no idea.

* * *

Ruby had made them all, except for Skull Boy himself, forget about what happened by asking them to help her get Iris away from the pilot. Apparently, the cyclops had been trying to find out if they were there yet. Once they had landed, they got on a minibus and bumped and rattled along for a few minutes. As they were approaching the resort, Ruby could not help herself. She was really worried for her skeletal friend.

"Skull Boy, I know you probably don't want to talk about what happened but we will have your back no matter what..."She said softly as she edged closer to Skull Boy.

Slowly, he turned away from the window to look her in the eye. She could have sworn his eyes were real emeralds, the way they sparkled. His small smile just seemed to make them impossibly beautiful.

His whispered thanks was her undoing as she quickly averted her face and hopped off the bus. Thank goodness they had arrived. Another moment and Skull Boy would notice her furious blush.

"We're lucky, today's temperature is only 20 degrees Celsius!"Ruby smiled as they alighted the bus.

"Well, we are having a heat wave!"Poe grumbled, still angry that Skull Boy won the chess match.

White rolling expanses that dazzled where the light reflected carpeted the world before them. Ruby breathed the cold air like it was a refreshing drink, a tiny cloud forming when she exhaled.

She took note of the icicles along the edge of their log cabin, noting the calm serenity of the heavily subdued landscape.

"This place is...!"Ruby began in a dazed voice until she was interrupted by a FLYING cyclops.

"Perfect for a snow-fight! WAHOO!"Iris cheered as she did a loop-the-loop.

"A jet pack. Misery, I thought you were going to give that to her only if you drew out her name on Yam Ween."

"I know but one of the dares was to give her present early."Misery shrugged.

"Well, she seems to be having a great time! We all will once we find the receptionist desk! It's in a huge steel building where will have dinner tonight and where the second round of the competition is!"Ruby announced.

"I'm guessing that's the huge steel building."Len pointed out as everyone turned to see what he was looking at..and wow, was it great.

The stark glass and steel tower soaring above the beautiful snow stood apart from the other log cabins, its driveway jammed with TV news vans. A pale man with grey hair, dressed immaculately in a black coat an pin-striped trousers, stood outside the imposing entrance, addressing a group of zombie reporters. He shot them a disarming smile, displaying his two sharp fangs.

"Woah! A vampire!" Ruby thought to herself.

Suddenly, the group of young zombie reporters swung their cameras in her direction, looking Ruby over from top to bottom, a rather disturbing glint in their eyes. She was made acutely self-conscious by the inquisitive staring, pointing and whispering that was being directed her way from the reporters. The avid scrutiny told her that they were surprised to see her.

She tried to break the ice.

"Hi! I'm Ruby."She chirped.

She blushed, unsure if the silence was good or bad and then everyone erupted, guys hollering less than appropriate things in her direction. Her smile faltered slightly, obviously displeased with the offers being shouted at her.

The cameras were flashing and news reporters started squawking into their microphones.

"You…should stay with me." Skull Boy grabbed her arm and led her to the receptionist before the reporters could swarm forward. He hoped they could at least get a log cabin without having to beat any of those zombie with a stick. Then, he looked at his hand and gulped. What if he did something even worse? He gulped. Maybe he could find more about whatever happened to him later.

Then, Ruby's mantra echoed in his head. _Look on the bright side._

_There was a bright side._

He had his friends to help him accomplish even the most difficult task. There were no secrets kept away from each other. They respected each other and even accepted each other. Skull Boy never once thought about hiding his feelings away from his friends. They were like family, the family he never had.

Too bad Skull Boy had no idea what was wrong with him. How could he share anything with them?

If he did however, he will in a second.

Now, he just wanted to go and rest...right after he got Doom to stop scratching the manager.

It turns out, vampires should always defer to Doom kitties, especially when they requested having chilled milk.

* * *

They were impressed with their huge log cabin.

After exiting the steel building, they had made their way through the other log cabins. While each log cabin looked rural on the outside, every one of them apparently had a small haven for technology lovers.

The moment they entered their log cabin, Skull Boy had spotted a huge LCD flat-screen television and a home theatre system with state-of-the-art technology in the middle of their living room. That was not all though. And I would like to describe it to you but, I think you just want to get with our Gloomsville friends, right?

"Wow!"Frank and Len uttered in amazement, circling the room with the childish need to touch everything. They glided their fingers over the various furnishings, admiring the glossy surface of the ornate pieces.

"Sweet!"Iris whooped as she bounced on a nearby bed. The bed bedecked in crimson silk quilts shook with the force of her somersaults. Not making an effort to resist the temptation, Ruby joined, squealing like...a little girl.

Skull Boy immediately began clicking away with his camera, even taking shots of the bathroom which had small hot tub. Poe inisisted on being in the shots and Skull Boy had to admit, Poe was quite good at posing.

Misery, however, was too exhausted and just plopped herself on a seat. She did not expect to sink into it however and Ruby and Iris had to get her out.

While they were doing that, Scaredy Bat had entered a room, with a seemingly harmless oil painting in a heavy gilt frame.

A figure in the 'painting,' who until that moment had held perfectly still, lunged forward with a strangled cry, his hand outstretched and trembling.

He glared at him through eyes as red as coals. Scaredy Bat shrank back in fear.

He let out a demonic laugh and thrust his repulsive face with its long, hooked nose in front of him. He was so close that Scaredy could see a pulse beating behind the livid red scar on his right temple. His filthy, disheveled hair fell over his face and he reeked. His loose, ill-fitting clothes looked like they have been slept in. He smiled repulsively at the trembling bat.

"Hehe, scared ya, didn't I?"He chuckled menacingly.

"If I say yes, you won't eat me, right?"Scaredy Bat gulped.

"Course not. It's against the policy here. Doesn't say anything about giving guests a fright. By the way, I'm Roy, your house keeper. Supposed to help you guys with stuff like cleaning."He extended a rotting hand to Scaredy.

"Oh, well, I'm Scaredy!"Scaredy took his hand in a brief but firm cordial handshake.

"Wow, you've made a friend in the space of 10 minutes since we have arrived here. You must be happy, Scaredy!"Ruby said with a broad smile as the others entered the small room.

"This place holds a lot of charm!"Ruby sighed as she stared out of the frosted windows as soft falling flakes of snow drifted to the ground.

"But not half so much as you are, querida*1*!"Roy winked at her.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You are muy hermosa señorita*2*!"

At that, Skull Boy frowned. This friendly guy had a flirtatious side...not good at all. Ruby could find the bright side of every situation, get a friend with a flash of her toothy grin, win writing competitions, bake the most delicous cake in te world and was one of the few who could think rationally and come up with great ideas in her head during a crisis, but flirting and romantic advancements were still a little beyond her.

Oblivious to a glaring Skull Boy, Ruby just said,

"It was great meeting you but now, we have to rest, especially Frank and Len, they're here for the music. Maybe tomorrow, we can chat up."

"¡Si, mi paloma!*3*I will be here, bonita rosita*4*!"Roy smirked as he quickly returned to his painting.

Skull Boy was so busy clenching his fists in order not to strangle Roy, he failed to take notice of a strange shadow sinking back into the wall as they passed by it.

1) Darling!

2) You are a beautiful woman!

3) Yes, my Dove!

4) I will be here, pretty little rose!


	3. Tongue Trouble

**_Wizard Woes_**

Training was...well, you would rather go and run around the world 106384 times non-stop.

The members of R.I.P had to wake up at 5 a.m. and march to the practice studio for voice practice and within one hour, whip up 2 amazing masterpieces for the next two rounds. Then, at 6 a.m, they would have to go straight to the dance hall to think of some dance moves that they could perform with a guitar. Finally, at 7 a.m, they went on stage where they could get to be a DJ for the day.

While the training was though, R.I.P. enjoyed every moment of it, envisioning the glory that awaited them and they had already came up infectious lyrics and great beats.

Yet, they could not help but shiver when they heard the other bands practicing. They were good.

One was an all-girls band wearing designs inspired by superheroes. All of their outfits included tights and long, fluttery capes. While their clothes were ridiculous, they got could really kick it up a notch and they really wielded the power of music like masters. Even strict and stern prime ministers danced to their electronic music with a smile on their tight faces. Gaga Ladies may win.

The second band hailed from Doomsville, a friendly neighbor of Gloomsville. However, the band was TOO friendly, shooting flirtatious gazes, leering, wolf-whistling(not surprising since they were were-wolves), catcalling, and doing every single flirtatious act in the book to Ruby. Strangely, their music did not contain any of that but was rather soft and soothing. People fell in love with each other thanks to their sweet melodies. One Way could win.

Last but not least, the third group was...interesting. Maybe Band Paranormal would win.

However, they somehow managed to befriend their competitors which delighted them because as Ruby once said, a friend you meet on a vacation will stay with you forever.

And after having an exhilarating snowball fight, sipping hot chocolate, and skiing down the gleaming white slopes, even Scaredy Bat had temporarily forgotten about his nervousness on the night of the second round, having had so much fun just a few hours ago.

Temporarily. He still trembled.

Once they took hot showers and practiced one last time, they got dressed to the nines.

As usual, the girls took a long time to get dressed.

"What in the world are they doing behind that door? The clock is ticking!"Poe squawked, perched on Len's shoulder.

A hiss of fury penetrated through the door, followed by audible thuds and low moans.

"Doom Kitty's collar. It slipped off by accident and they are trying to put it on her."Scaredy Bat explained, sitting on a nearby stool.

They heard Misery deadpan a soft 'ow'.

"Trying."Skull Boy added, leaning against the door before wincing when he heard something break. The boys were mentally calculating the cost of the damage Doom was likely to inflict on the room that night when the door swung open. As a result, Skull Boy had to quickly grab something unless he wanted to pick up all his 270 bones. Luckily for him , a small and slender hand grabbed him quickly. Recognizing Ruby's soft palm, he tried to shoot her a grin the moment he regained his balance but his smile faded into slack-jawed astonishment as he took a good look at her.

Woah.

Crimson hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back in loose waves that fell to her waist. Coiling tendrils twisted to frame her face. Her slender throat was laced with a black ribbon with a small pendant that looked like Doom Kitty's face dangling from the choker. An ebony jacket with a dark gray stripe across the chest and cuffs covered up her 'cute top'. She had donned a belt with curious little adornments of silver that tipped each leather tassel and made a soft tinkling sound as she moved. Her denim jeans disappeared into black leather boots with thin spiked heels. Zippers ran up the backs and the boots themselves stopped mid-thigh.

In short, she was stunning...and Skull Boy was staring at her in awe.

Maybe he should focus on the other girls and compliment their outfits too.

Iris was wearing a red leather jacket over a black shirt and skinny denim jeans with brown shoes.

Misery was wearing a blue blouse and a purple skirt.

Doom was wearing her usual collar.

...

Okay, he was going crazy. First, his confusing genealogy. Then, his weird hands. Now, he was feeling something strange! For Ruby! His best friend!

Was he related to a long line of lunatics?!

Still, even if he was a mad skeleton, he had to say something to the concerned(and worn out) Ruby...and the others girls.

After mentally slapping himself 3762 times, he cleared his throat and chirped,

"Well, it's about time! We gotta go to the competition!"

* * *

So, now they had entered the steel building. A dwarf, clad in a frock coat, top hat and pin-stripped trousers, showed the way to the ballroom rented out for the occasion while they followed dutifully behind. Minutes later, they walk to the closed doors of the rented ballroom.

At the entrance, they were greeted by two fluttering sprites in smart beige lounge suits and bow ties, though all of them could hardly hear what they said to them as the loudspeakers inside were producing a deafening roar. After handing over their things to the coat check, the two sprites opened the doors to the world of music.

Scaredy Bat was not used to these harsh sounds and within a minute, he was greeted by astounding technological miracles such as a ball of tiny mirrors reflecting blinding light. He tugged at his security purple scarf nervously.

At the seating area were several tables and chairs, almost all of them were dressed in assorted apparel. To their right, they saw a raised portion of the floor. Apparently, it was the dance floor and it was packed with a mass of pulsating humanity. On the stage was Gaga Ladies, filling the place with their ear-piercing music. Some of the band members were waving their trumpets about while others were wiggling to the rhythm of their electric guitars. The racket reverberated the discotheque walls so much that Scaredy Bat and Poe had to cover their ears.

"Oh, what a racket, babel, bluster, bowwow, brawl, bruit, cacophony, chatter, clamor, clangor, decibel, din, discordance, katzenjammer, rattle, roar and any other synonym I can find in a thesaurus!"Poe huffed, not that anyone could hear him over the blaring music.

However, everyone else seemed to be enjoying the music.

Frank grinned as his pompadour styled hair and Len's unkept mop of hair bobbed together,

"The Gaga Ladies are really rocking it up there!"

Woah...I can't describe this woe

that I felt after that horrible row,

Now you want me back,

but I'm just one of the thousands of dresses on the rack!

My mother always says

that people have to go their own separate ways!

We got together amidst the falling snow,

and that is where we will let go!

I had enough, stop calling me already!

I will never pick it up!

There's plenty of fish in the sea!

Once you're out of my life, I can finally be me...!

And the music stopped when Twitter, the lead singer held the last note. A round of applause erupted from the audience before a griffin a thick mane and beautiful feathers flew to the stage.

After making a safe landing, he gripped the microphone with one of his claws before roaring into it,

"Hiya everyone! It's me, Brazzaville Bromine from the Superstar Talent Competition and what you heard just now was, 'Once you're out of my life' by Gaga Ladies!"

Cheers came from every corner of the room.

"As you all know, this is a competition of pure talent and star power. Gaga Ladies is just one out of the 4 bands we have. Each of them have proved themselves worthy of being here, all making it past auditions, which were round one! Now, the second round will decide which band will stay...and which band will go...but before everyone around the world votes, we gotta hear the other bands so we'll hear it from RIP...after this commercial break."He ended his lengthy statement nonchalantly.

"Oh dear, I thought we could be...I dunno...second last...?"Scaredy gulped as he and everyone else went backstage. The audience's huge clapping frenzy did not help him.

"Relax Scaredy, just don't think about the eggs they'll hurl at you if you stink!"Iris grinned as she helped Scaredy set up his drum kit, bouncing from each drum and cymbal. Luckily, Scaredy had bought an indestructible one.

"Or the fact you'll be watched by everyone with a television."Misery added as she tried to give Scaredy a glass of water. The glass broke into smithereens with and the water splashed onto Misery.

By the time Doom Kitty had silenced the two girls with her long tail, Scaredy Bat's gentle butterflies in his stomach became an angry mob.

"Just have fun and think about the music. After all, you are all about the music...which is why you wrote a song dedicated to music."

"Actually, we wrote that song because Skull Boy was talking about the history of music when he was talking about his ancestors who were possibly composers."

"Huh, when did I say...whatever I thought that?"Skull Boy arced an eyebrow.

"Oh, I think it was 3 days ago...!"

As everyone pondered on how many personas had Skull Boy taken on, Brazzaville had arrived and said,

"It's time! Hope you're ready!"

"Ok! We will...ah!"The conjoined brothers chirped before they felt their huge tongues in their mouths. They took a deep breath and opened their mouths but not even a squeak came out.


	4. Musical talent

**_Wizard Woes_**

**I am sorry! ㈵4I was so busy with exams and all and now...well... it's like I'm Scaredy Bat now... that's how bad my nervousness is. I can't afford to fail but I suck at Geography! Why?!**

**Still, even Scaredy would continue to update regularly, no matter how scared he is of the Internet****... if he ever gets a FanFiction account...**

**Still busy with exams though so I will probably update on 17th May.**

**Don't worry, by then, things will start cooking! I promise! :)**

* * *

They could hear the crowd's growing anger. The audience began to pump their clenched fists into the air,

"Where's RIP? Where's RIP?! WHERE'S RIPPPPPPP?!"

They were doing this because, number one; Frank and Len got cramps in their tongues. Number two; RIP was NOT performing at that moment because they had no singers.

"Sorry, folks, just a minute."Ruby zoomed up on stage before going down again.

Using a small whiteboard they found lying on the floor, Frank and Len wrote in big bold letters,

"WHY?!"

"What are we going to do? Where can we find a replacement singer?"Poe spoke the question in everyone's mind when Ruby came.

"Well, we always have Misery!"Iris cheered, pointing to the banshee who was preparing a cup of hot tea for herself.

The moment she filled the cup to the brim with piping hot tea, it turned to iced tea, complete with ice cubes and a little umbrella. Unfortunately for Misery, she did not pay attention to her own drink and swallowed everything...it was a terrible mistake.

There was a horrible churning in her stomach. She tumbled to the ground and rolled over and over. She had lost her usual blue skin tone, going green about the gills.

"I guess she can't."Poe sighed as he helped Ruby and Iris lift Misery to a nearby chair.

"Now Misery can't sing now."Scaredy Bat gulped nervously as his head collided with...the soft pillow Doom had laid beside him.

"Don't worry, we have a secret weapon."Ruby mentioned.

"We do?!"Everyone but the tragic trio echoed. Even Scaredy Bat had mysteriously been revived by Ruby's statement.

"Yup."Ruby's cute smile now turned into a smirk when she lowered her eyelids, trying to hide the impish plan she was plotting.

"That's great. As I am related to a long line of harmonica players, I can spot those with great talent on the music department, especially potential vocalists."

"Yes and...!"Ruby paused to make everything dramatic.

"The perfect person is...!"They said simultaneously.

"Somebody!"Skull Boy whooped.

"Skulls!"Ruby cheered at the same time.

"Wait, what?"Skull Boy's eyes became as wide as saucers as Ruby grabbed his hand and dragged him up on stage.

"Let's give Skull Boy a round of applause, everybody!"

A numb feeling of shock settled over his body as his legs were forced to move towards the stage. The angry crowd simmered down quickly and within minutes, enthusiastic clapping entered his ears.

Did ANY of them even know his name?!

Nope. They just wanted to clap or boo at a performer.

He made his way up the tiny set of steps and came to the middle of the stage, looking absolutely terrified as Ruby casually passed the mic into his hand. Skull Boy's bony fingers curled around the mic in a death grip.

"What are you doing? It's not like I'm related to a long line of singers...but I am related to a long line of harmonica players so I can do a solo."He hissed in panic before he suddenly forgot about his current dilemma, produced a small harmonica and happily began to play three notes when Ruby placed her hands on his shaking shoulders.

"Skull Boy, you thought you were related to a long line of biologists last month because you got full marks for your Biology test for the one hundred thousandth time in a row. Last week, you assumed that you were the descendent of Beethoven when you came up with a sonata by the moonlight. Just a few hours ago, you thought that you were related to master chess players because you bested Poe in that game. And so far, you have proven to everyone that you can be related to anyone, including singers. Furthermore, you've heard the song a gazillion times."

"Really? What type of singing voice do I have then? Tenor? Baritone? Bass? Alto?"Skull Boy was giggling like some school girl who had just been asked out by her crush.

It was true. Skull Boy had a knack for singing. It was just one of his many talents that came naturally and effortlessly to him while growing up.

So it was another possible family tree for him! Now, where could he plant it amongst the 19639018 family trees he had?

Just as he was thinking of jotting down his likely line, Ruby brought him back to the subject at hand,

"So will you do it? Will you sing for Frank and Len?"

"Yes..."Skull Boy grinned as he looked at the rocker brothers who were grinning from ear to ear.

"The crowd?"

"Yes."He was smiling like a Cheshire Cat the moment he saw the blurry faces.

"Your ancestors?"

"Yes!"

"Me, er...I mean your friends?"Ruby caught herself just in time.

"YES!"

She gestured with her small hands for him to take the first verse and he nodded understandingly.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a brief moment, before...Iris exclaimed,

"GO SKULLS, GO! SHOW THEM WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF! DON'T DISHONOR YOUR FAMILY! YOU CAN DO IT! THINK ABOUT WINNING!"

She even blew a plastic trumpet to show her enthusiasm.

Skull Boy rolled his eyes at her silly antics and chuckled until Frank and Len began to strum the guitar. He took a deep breath and began singing, filling the room with his breathtaking voice.

Get off the beaten track and you'll find lots of surprises

when the night comes and Luna arrives!

Ooooh!

Turn off that torchlight and meet the bogeyman!

Oooh!

Take his dark hand,

and he'll bring you this little town called Gloomsville!

You can find Count Dracula waiting for it to rain blood,

Loch Ness Monster lurking in the mud,

Frankenstein's monster looking for his brain,

Thousand of banshees wailing in pain!

Ooooooh!

Ruby was pretty sure he had just reduced all of the women in the crowd into oozing puddles of useless goo. If Ruby's stomach was doing an entire gymnastics routine fit for the Olympics, she could only wonder how the love-struck women continued to stand, even when he reached the final verse,

Yeah, come down,

To this town,

Come and visit Gloomsville!

Ooooooooooh!

Skull Boy was gaping in surprise at the ovation he had received. He even heard people chanting for an encore and witnessed every single girl swooning. He was even oblivious to the pressure his friends were putting on his spine as they all tackled him into a group hug. He was still looking at the whooping and cheering crowd.

He was brought back to reality when two strong, unfamiliar paws clapped down on his shoulders, jolting him out of his cloudy daze. He blinked and looked behind him to see Brazzaville's toothy grin.

Skull Boy awkwardly handed over his mic when Brazzaville gestured for it politely.

"Okay, okay! I know you guys want to hear this group again but like I said, there are two more to go! But give it up one more time for RIP's amazing performance!"He chuckled good-naturedly into the microphone, pointing to the band.

Skull Boy, Scaredy, Frank and Len all took deeply exaggerated bows, complete with ridiculous hand flourishes as the crowd cheered. They quickly stalked down the steps along with their friends when One Way came up on stage. Soon, they found a vacant table.

"You were amazing up there, especially you Skull Boy. I'm pretty sure you induced swooning."Ruby cheered as she handed each RIP member a glass of water. Skull Boy promptly drained half of his and slumped on a nearby chair, drained.

Suddenly, silence enveloped the area. The lights became a soft gold.

Brazzaville held up an envelope with the names of the contestants that will not be going home. Everyone turned towards the stage. RIP could not be in there...they could go home and everything they had gone through and worked for could go down the drain...!

"And the first contestant that will proceed to the finals is..."He paused to make everything dramatic. Scaredy felt like a mess of jitters and nerves.

"Enough with the suspense and say the names already!"Iris yelled.

"One Way!"Brazzaville announced with a chuckle towards Iris' nervousness

People began to cheer as the lycanthropes run towards the stage, howling.

The lights dimmed to a soft gold.

"One spot left. Who will it be? RIP? Gaga Ladies? Or Band Paranormal?"

Everyone is silent.

Nobody dares to say a word.

It was hard for Scaredy to breath. His heart began racing and he felt that he was on the verge of a panic attack.

"And the final spot goes to... RIP!"


	5. Hot-air balloon or hot chocolate?

_**Wizard Woes**_

It was a bittersweet victory. The sweetness came from the fact that they had actually made it, even with all the obstacles, the one only a weird writer could come up with, in their way. They hugged each other in sheer delight. They also congratulated One Way but amid the hugs, high-fives and approvals from every quarter, they were preparing for the bitter part.

The part where they had to say good-bye to the other two bands.

After exchanging phone numbers and promising to keep in touch, Gaga Ladies and Band Paranormal had to leave what many had dubbed as 'the ride to reality'. Once they boarded that bus, they would be driving away from their dreams and into the pothole that was reality. Still, they waved farewell as the bus made its way out of the driveway, like a reluctant troll coming out of its cave. The fond memories together would stay with R.I.P. forever. In fact, they decided that their next song would be dedicated to those two bands.

They only started smiling when they learnt that for getting through round two, they could get free hot-air balloon rides. And they knew it was not good-bye, just a see rest of the evening became a blur of joy and utter bliss before they settled into bed. They needed all the rest for the hot-air balloon ride tomorrow.

* * *

"Did you bring the tickets?"Iris asked for the umpteen time as exuberance bubbled in her.

R.I.P was the first band to go, since they got the morning slot. It was quite hard to get two hot-air balloons during the afternoon...

"Yup, here they are!"Ruby produced 8 tickets.

They stood together, with Scaredy Bat totally tremulous at the prospect of what was coming. The cute penguin holding up the sign which boasted how great the ride will be did not help matters, the smile it flaunted seemed to be all-knowing and cunning. There was an evil glint in his eyes.

People say that the wait is more terrible than the fate that awaits us...who are these people? Nobody knows, but they are right in this case.

During the five-minute wait, his teeth were knocking against each other, both from the chill of the wind and the fear of actually getting on the deathly ride. Ruby came to the rescue when she talked about the wildlife they could see from above..and how safe they were. The others were quite oblivious to this though.

"We didn't even have to pay...and it's all thanks to Skull Boy."Iris cheered.

Trying to hide his beetroot red face. Skull Boy mumbled, "It was all thanks to my ancestors... besides, Scaredy, Frank and Len were the reasons why we are here. O was just an extra factor."

When he said that, he suddenly realized that the life was being sucked out of him as Frank and Len trapped him in a silent but rib-crushing hug. They only stopped when they heard the soft scratching of Misery's pencil on her notepad. For now, it was their way of communication. Soon, Misery held up the notepad.

"Extra factors are helpful. My great, great, great, great, great grandfather said that it was because of a voodoo doll, which was just a toy for memories-sake, saved him from the great disaster of 1836." Poe read the words aloud.

At that, Doom furiously nodded and threw herself at Skull Boy, purring contentedly. Soon, she just picked herself up just after Skull Boy patted her head before pretending to sing into an invisible microphone.

"Aw...of course you can sing Doom. Ruby tells me that you have a lovely soprano."

Doom did her best to communicate her thoughts to everyone...she was just not the best mime-artist in the world. As always, her companion misinterpreted her, frustrating her beyond belief. Before she could slap herself with her tail, Skull Boy presented a plate gourmet kibble below her nose.

"I heard this helps with cats' voices...why don't you try it?"

Just as fast as it was born, her irritation with him quickly died as devoured the entire plate, without a single morsel. Unfortunately, the moment she let out a huge burp, she suddenly clutched her stomach and collapsed to the floor. Impervious to the cold rigidity of the ground, everyone dropped down beside her, trying to find the reason behind her pitiful mews.

"What's wrong Doom? All I did was give you some gourmet kibble! It was fresh!"

"Wait a minute...who fed Doom last night?"Ruby asked.

"Me, I gave her Witches' Berries."

"Iris, once she eats Witches' Berries, she will get an instantaneous stomach ache when she eats some other dish!"Skull Boy gasped.

Seven pairs of eyes slid surreptitiously in his direction, waiting for his line.

"Honestly, I haven't figured it out either but I think we should just give Doom some devil's cake."

"Oh! I gave that to the pilot earlier! He said it's in one of the hot air balloons."

"Perfect! Skull Boy, Poe, get the devil's cake! I'll get some blankets for Doom. The rest of you need to tell the pilot that we have to cancel the trip."

None of them bothered to protest as they dutifully carried out their tasks.

"There, I see it!" Poe cheered when he spotted the heavenly chocolate icing.

"Great!" Skull Boy whooped... until he accidentally tripped over a stretched rope, falling head-first... and apparently, the rope was the only thing keeping the hot-air balloon on the ground.

"Not great! This is a bigger disaster than the Titanic! Or Misery falling down the stairs! Or Frank and Len..!"Poe gulped before nervously babbling away.

Skull Boy gathered his scattered bones just in time to see the hot-air balloon floating away. After doing some quick calculations and knitting his brows together in a tight tine in contemplation, he grabbed a shocked Poe and, with the agility of a monkey, somersaulted and landed right at the center of the hot-air balloon basket. Freeing himself from the skeleton's grip, Poe quickly retrieved the cake.

"Taa daa!"Skull Boy shot an unamused Poe a disarming grin.

"Indeed, that was impressive...except for the fact that we are now floating away in a hot-air balloon! What now?!"

"I don't know! I haven't thought that far ahead!"

"Oh! Whatever shall we do?! We have no pilot!" Poe squawked.

"We do."Skull Boy smirked.

"What?! But I never took hot-air balloon flying lessons! I am used to these beautiful mechanisms of flight! And I can't fly in the cold!" Poe showed his wings that shone with life thanks to his constant preening before bundling his thick, burly coat close to his body. So cold...

Suddenly, Skull Boy tossed him a small card and Poe's eyes darted back and forth, reading each word written on it;

**Hot-air balloon pilot license**

**Name: Skull Boy**

**Age: 14000 years old or in immortal years, 14 years old**

**Date of expiry: 31st January**

**Additional comments: This skeleton is possibly related to a long line of hot-air balloon pilots. He did better than me!**

"I got a hot-air balloon pilot license!"

"Hold on!"Poe continued to read the crucial words;

Day Issued: 1st December

"This license was issued the day before we left Gloomsville!" He exclaimed as he accidentally let his wing brush past against the last word. It left a huge blotch.

"The ink isn't even dry! I am leaving!"Poe tossed it back to Skull Boy and was about to beat his wings furiously when Skull Boy gruffly said,

"Look, this is far from civilization! Sure, if you fly, you might reach a town in a week but considering the frigid climate, not likely."

...

"Hot cocoa?" Poe offered.


	6. Signs

**_Wizard Woes_**

* * *

The air felt raw against her throat as Ruby breathed in the cold night. Unlike before, it felt as though she was gulping down poison rather than a refreshing drink. But it was not the chilly air that made her shiver... it was because she had not spotted Skull Boy or Poe.

She heard some springs bouncing up and down and turned around to face Iris, who was holding a shaking Scaredy Bat. When she shook her head no, Frank and Len were there...but only Frank and Len.

Misery came just when Frank and Len shrugged...but the banshee just sighed when Ruby anxiously wheeled around to face her.

It had been hours since they had discovered Skull Boy and Poe were missing. Doom was still mewling in pain until Frank and Len gave her another devil's cake they found. Now, she was resting while the others were combing the area for Skull Boy. She would have called the police but they needed to wait for 24 hours before filing a missing person's report. So they decided to take matters into their own hands... not that they had conjured up anything...

Suddenly, Roy came, panting from lack of breath. He stopped breathing heavily when he realized each intake of breath was just making him feel sick. When he finally composed himself, he realized that Ruby was supporting but he dismissed the physical contact so that he can say,

"I found the pilot! He checked the area where the 2 hot-air balloons were and discovered that there was only one left! He also found the rope that was supposed to prevent the hot-air balloon from floating away...only it was torn!"

Scaredy clutched to Iris as if she was his life preserver, stammering,

"Oh no, they m-must have had an a-accident! They could be a-anywhere right now! They m-must f-feel...,"

...

,"...like Wilber Wight, wondering how such feelings of serenity and peace can be combined with the nerve tingling excitement and aliveness." Skull Boy sighed. He was unaware that he was finishing Scaredy's sentence...though those weren't the words Scaredy wanted to say.

"I feel like we are going to crash-land." Poe gulped just as he had opened a pickle jar. The lid just narrowly missed Skull Boy.

Skull Boy rolled his eyes at Poe's 'pessimism'. The negative comment elicited a thoughtful look from the skeleton, but not necessarily alarm. He cocked his skull to regard him,

"Look on the bright side, Poe! Ruby was totally right about the view!"

"No! I mean we are going to crash land! Look! There's a hole in the balloon!"

"What?!" Skull Boy turned to the aforementioned hole.

"The pickle lid must have caused it to tear!" Poe moaned as heard a hissing sound.

"The air's escaping!" Skull Boy concluded agitatedly.

True enough, they zoomed zig-zag across the air as the balloon became smaller and smaller until it was empty...then they plummeted to the ground. Their screaming ceased when they landed on the soft snow. Unfortunately for Skull Boy, his bones were scattered all over the place but Poe actually thought they were not his.

"Oh my goodness! They are bones here! That means people died here!"

"No, it means I gotta assemble myself!" Skull Boy said as he quickly summoned all his bones and connected them. As soon as he was done, Poe's eyes roved the area.

Mainly, he saw flashes of velvety antlers and limpid eyes. They vanished all too soon.

"Lots of deers. You think they are wolves?" Poe wondered.

"I guess...we better find some shelter. We have to move."

"Are you okay?" Poe asked.

"Yeah, and you?" Skull Boy arched an eyebrow.

"Fit as a fiddle."

Their small conversation was put on hold as they crossed the endless snow. The land simply beguiled them. The land was a living palette of colors from subtle to vivid. Their every snow-littered step caused a sharp, crisp crunch that seemed to bee too loud in the quiet night.

The first frozen flake landed on the tip of Poe's beak. That single flurry was followed by another and another until a light drizzle was swirling all around them. Poe knew that no matter how innocuously snowfall began, it would inevitably become heavier and could quickly degenerate to white-out conditions.

By the time they had shuffled into the snowy confines of a cavern, Poe was beginning to act like Scaredy.

"I just hope the others send a rescue squad because even with both our magnificent talents, we can't live here forever!"

"Don't worry, once it has stopped snowing, I'll try to make a signal..."

"By the time they find it, not only will we be out of food but round three will begin!"

At that, Skull Boy stiffened and repressed the urge to scream. The competition! Without him, RIP would be disqualified. No singer, no lyrics, no song, no place in the music industry.

"This is bad... and it's all my fault." Skull Boy sighed.

At the sight of Skull Boy's crestfallen expression, Poe awkwardly patted him,

"There, there, old chap. Why don't you sit on Poe's leg?"

Before a despondent Skull Boy could scoot onto Poe's tiny legs, Poe had thought better of the decision,

"Oh... er... never mind. What you should remember is that there's always a next time and Frank and Len are probably more concerned about our safety rather than the competition."

"Gee, thanks Poe!" Skull Boy chirped. Poe was right, because while music was a fundamental part of the congenital twins' life, so was their family. And he and Poe were part of it.

Something happened the moment Skull Boy smiled. It wasn't obvious at first. It was just an orb that flashed and winked before it haloed over his fingers… than his hands... and finally his wrists. In fact, Skull Boy would have remained oblivious to this if Poe hadn't yelped and pointed at his hand. The moment he did, all Skull Boy could do was jump, flung his arms foward and shoot the icy blue 'ball' at one of the frigid walls of the cavern. It shattered and suddenly, both of them realized that the cavern was special.

Because it connected the frigid climate of the Horrorlayas to another world.

The endless sea of grass mingled with bright blue patches from clusters of stalls and stands.

Porcelain, furniture, carpets, fans, jewelry, beautiful paintings on rice paper and silk, brushes and colored inks. Thousands fluttered like a butterfly between stands filled with gorgeous silks and cashmere sweaters while some flicked through thick volumes of details. Some stood in awe at the sight of divine statues of jade, wood, bronze, iron and terra-cotta.

And even Poe was rendered speechless as they stared at a huge wooden board that screamed the words,

"WELCOME TO WIMAGETCH!"


	7. The Battle

**_Wizard Woes_**

**Author's Note: Wahoo! Exams are over, I got my grades and I'm on cloud nine! Now I can apologize for not updating regularly. Now that we are only doing post-exam activities in school, it's easier to get this story rolling!**

**Now, this chapter is going to be super long (well, compared to the others) so come on, scroll down please, read this chapter, click on the review button and type out your comments please! All reviews are accepted!**

* * *

Their eyes darted back and forth, from the huge signboard and the ice cave. They were undeniably, completely lost.

Gradually, Skull Boy realized that the ice cave was not the only cave. To his right were tendrils of flames licking a ruby-red cave. On his left, a moss-covered cave was there, dazzling, gem-like flowers weaving along its walls. Finally, a cave with dozens of trumpets attached to it stood in Poe's direction.

"Woah... I have never seen such caves before..."Skull Boy gulped.

"Well... I can say without any doubt that we are going to have to at least look around here for, if not supplies, directions. I vote for supplies." Poe declared.

Unique arts and crafts, wooden clogs and ornamental jewellery were some of the many items on display. Skull Boy however, paid no attention to them. As he walked around the area with Poe perched on his shoulders, he could tell by the inquisitive stares, pointing and whispers that were being directed their way from milling passerby that these people likely didn't get too many visitors from out of town. Made acutely self-conscious by their avid scrutiny, he focused so intently on ignoring their curious looks, that he bumped into a person.

"Er... hi...we're kinda lost...do you know how to get to the Horrorlayas Resort. We need to quickly get there...!" Skull Boy began awkwardly.

"What? That is not how you ask for directions! Allow me, a proper gentleman, to do this task," Poe tsked with a laugh before clearing his throat and shooting the stranger a mega-watt grin. "Excuse us for our horrible clumsiness but we are lost and would appreciate it if someone, perhaps a gentleman such as yourself, could help us return to the Horrorlayas resort? Please? If you are fine with it?"

It was then, much to the duo's shock, when they discovered that the stranger seemed to be a professional wrestler. His fists were the size of cabbages. He was broad and muscular and intimidating. Poe was certain the man could have pulverized solid rock with his teeth if he wanted to. His most terrifying feature was his deep frown. Suddenly, his lips twitched to form a disarming smile.

"I have no idea what Horrorlayas is but I know someone who probably will!" His booming, thundering voice echoed throughout the village.

* * *

"Where were they last seen?"Raffles settled back into his comfortable chair.

Desperate, the Gloomsville gang had asked thousands of doormen if they had seen a hot-air balloon with a skeleton and a crow.

Word of their disappearance had reached Raffles' ears and he had summoned the Gloomsville group, minus 2, into his office. Being the hotel manager was not easy... especially now that there was a human girl... a girl with O- blood. The champagne for his kind. Luckily, he had tons of filled flasks...

Iris and Ruby now sat across the desk from him. The others were seated on a long leather settee.

Raffles' office was richly furnished and thickly furnished.

Gilt-framed photographs of castles and ornate hotels decorated its lovely walls. Shelves of books climbed to the ceiling. Long windows looked down on the beautiful scenery. No outside sounds penetrated the hushed atmosphere, leaving an antique clock to discretely tick away the minutes from an elegant side table.

"At the area where the hot-air balloons are." Iris chirped.

"And they flew away on a hot-air balloon?"

"That's right." Ruby nodded her head.

"Well... Horrorlayas, while it is considered to be very small, is not the best place to get lost in. Especially with our snow storms. Luckily for you guys, rescue squads are searching for your friends. Mind you, by the time we find them, it would be the last round of the competition."

"Unless you postpone it...!" Iris sang before she gave him** _the eye._**

Who could say no to that puppy-dog eye?

* * *

Shields hung from the stone walls, flares burned in iron braziers and servants in scarlet tunics carried long trays of food to the long table in the center. All Skull Boy and Poe did was to stare and watch.

"Strange... master's not here. He's probably in the next room, on the right. Oh well, see ya!" He chirped as he skipped all the way into another room.

...

"Well, at least we know where to get food now... let's just find this 'master'." Poe sighed.

As they walked towards the room, Skull Boy sensed that something was amiss. When he was as quiet as a mouse and focused on his surroundings, he could hear faint sound, as if something was whizzing by them. The crackling sounds did not only come from the torchbearers. And why were there gusts of wind? Just a nanosecond ago, there were none.

Still, despite being wary and alert, he was knocked off his feet when a brutal fist of wind smashed into his mid-section, catching him by surprise.

Like falling leaves, three figures nimbly landed on their feat from the ceiling beams, their tailored robes flapping like bats' wings.

"Skull Boy!" Poe cried as he rushed to the fallen skeleton. Luckily, his bones were still intact and connected.

"Ah!" They bellowed as shards of rock and chunks of earth were turned into projectile missiles. They managed to deftly avoid the earthen shrapnel as Skull Boy had grabbed Poe, dodged, whirled and twirled with such speed and agility that Poe had to comment,

"My word! How do you do that? You told me that you're not related to a long line of gymnasts and you would never want to be!"

"Ha! In school, we kinda have to but if you think I'm good, you should see Ruby and Iris in action!" Skull Boy chuckled briefly.

The moment he smiled, his eyes lost their emerald green color and became icy blue. Soon, ice cones were shot at the bewildered students. Were it not for the protective air shield one of them conjured up, they would have had it.

"Did school teach you that too?" Poe arched an eyebrow.

Skull Boy had no idea what he was doing but he knew he had to do it, he and Poe were cornered kittens and the only way for them to survive against these dogs was to lash out their claws ...but how do they use them?

Suddenly, he remembered that incident on the plane...he was happy before that...come to think of it, every time he was happy, he was never near water...the plane incident was the first he was elated near a source of water. And these wizards could control their respective elements... maybe, just maybe.

It was like unlocking another hidden talent, but this was the most absurd of them all.

He thought about trapping his foe...and some happy moments like when he thought he was related to a long line of train conductors...or that time when he won the Big Brain trophy.

As his smile grew wider and wider, he raised his bony hand and curled it into a fist. The moment he did so, he had conjured up manacles of thick ice that crept around his enemy's ankles, anchoring his opponent in place. His competitor gasped and fell to the icy floor with an audible thud. Everyone around Skull Boy gaped in awe... and fright.

"What did you do?!"Poe gulped.

"I STILL dunno...but judging by them, I guess I should use it, huh?"Skull Boy said as he prepared himself, smirking as he did so.

"That would be nice...I'll support you from here."Poe eyed the 2 wizards warily who had finally snapped out of their shock and readied themselves into defensive positions. Even the one Skull Boy had just attacked was up and ready to fight... but so was Skull Boy.

Thus, Skulls was prepared when Poe scrambled away. The moment he felt the heat from one of the wizard's forceful attack, he ended the onslaught in a steaming hiss before any real damage could be done.

Soon, they circled in ribbon-like attacks, winding and retreating, circling and advancing, like an ancient dance. Thorns whizzed past. Flames crackled. Wind roared. Water splashed.

Meanwhile, Poe just munched on some buttery popcorn.

"Hmm...wizards...and Skull Boy is one of them. Maybe he is related to a long line of...a...a...ACHOO!"

Suddenly, Poe's huge sneeze caused a violent spray of frost to flare all around them, momentarily stunting the wizards' visibility and cutting them off from Skull Boy. Before they could recover, the skeleton took advantage of Poe's distraction. had quickly melted the snow under their feet so that they toppled over into the churning water alongside them. The water suddenly iced over, effectively immobilizing two of them and impeding their ability to use magic. Only one remained standing.

"Well, I hope you stop so cus seriously...I didn't do anything wrong!"Skull Boy huffed as he solidified the wall of water from the ground. He made the wall of water into a shelf of ice by looking straight at his enemy. The shelf surfed towards his opponent with lightning speed in an attempt to knock him of his feet. It did not work.

Commanding a coil of water like a lasso, Skull Boy lashed at the brunette's ankles in yet another attempt to take him down. However, the brunette easily danced out of his water whip's way before he easily swept the skeleton off his feet with a sweeping column of air mixed with snow. Skull Boy's bones were scattered everywhere and he could see the shock in the young wizard's eye. He seized the opportunity to put himself together and, determined to end the match, he began bending and flexing his skeletal arms in a rapid, circular motion. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he built layer upon layer of ice around the pupil until he was encased completely in a crystallized sphere, trapped and immobile. He glared at Skull Boy through the translucent surface.

Exhausted and panting hard in the aftermath, he sank to his knees in the rumpled drifts of snow and concentrated on catching his breath, too tired to realize that someone was applauding... for him!


	8. Another competition!

**_Wizard Woes_**

They were still in the midst of composing themselves when the thumping cadence of lone applause reached their ears. Everyone glanced up to find a werewolf approaching, his expression curiously serene.

"Bravo! Magnificent!" He howled.

"Master Thorpe, we failed in defeating this obstacle... though seriously, a skeleton and a crow? Shouldn't it be a skeleton and... I dunno, human or rag doll?" One of them cried.

It was at that moment that Skull Boy finally noted his attackers' features. The one who had spoken was a girl, with her golden locks thrown into a messy bun. She wore a trendy safari outfit with a synthetic fur vest and a pair of laced-up leather boots. A necklace made out of shark's teeth completed her adventurous look.

The one on her right was the boy who controlled fire. His amber eyes seemed to be banked fires, alight with mischief. It's a good thing Skull Boy had detected his friendly air because if he didn't, he would have been the next Scaredy Bat. The boy was HUGE and his muscles seemed to bulge beneath his red tee shirt and shorts. His fire truck red waves seemed to be like the flames he could manipulate.

The last one was very long and lean in stature. His wire-structure seemed to be built for speed and incredible feats of agility. His button-down shirt seemed to be baggy against his skinny frame and his blue jeans hung on his lean hips. He was shivering slightly thanks to being subjected to Skull Boy's ice coffin, his brown hair damp.

"Honestly, I did not put him in your test... that was supposed to be next year... but that was wonderful, young skeleton!" The lycanthrope known as Master Thorpe smiled, barring his sharp teeth as he offered Skull Boy his hairy arm.

Skull Boy stared at it. Master Thorpe continued to wait with his hand outstretched to the confused skeleton. Skulls carefully placed his bony hand in his and to his surprise, Master Thorpe gently helped him up off of the floor.

"Thank you, my name is Skull Boy. This is Poe. It's nice to meet you."

"We're from Gloomsville. We just came to the Horrorlayas for a band competition." Poe added.

"But there was this snow storm and we sought shelter in an ice cave...!" Skull Boy sighed.

"And then Skull Boy somehow produced a glowing balloon that destroyed one of the walls and that's how we came here! We decided to get directions and some supplies." Poe finished, all the while performing weird motions to elaborate his point. The Fire Mage stifled a chuckle when Poe made a ballooning gesture and pretended to fire the 'balloon'.

"Hmm... I'm sorry but there's no way out." Master Thorpe concluded as he stroked his own fur in serious thought.

"WHAT?!"

"Unless you really are desperate...!"

"Ya, we kinda are!" Skull Boy admitted reluctantly. What choice did they have?

"Simple, participate in the Wizards' Battle! You have the skill and even though you are new to the world of magic, you were able to defeat three masters!"

"He took us by surprise! We thought he was...!" One of them cried before he let his words hung in the air. Skull Boy and Poe knew they had a heavy impact on everyone else as the wizards began to shuffle nervously.

"Yes, but still! Besides, if you enter the competition, you can get a necklace that will allow you to travel anywhere you want to go, win or loose!" Master Thorpe explained to the shocked skeleton.

Skull Boy could not process anything else Master Thorpe had said. He could only focus on one small yet significant word.

**_'Wizard'_**

"So does that mean I could be related to a long line of wizards?" Skull Boy beamed.

Could this be who he is? A_ wizard? _A_ magic user?_

The moment he said that, with hope bubbling in his voice, he noticed that the red-haired had frowned slightly before he admitted reluctantly,

"Sorry but no. You could not be related to a long line of wizards, and still be one. Like Rad here." He pointed to the brunette.

At that, Skull Boy's shoulders dropped like something was weighing them down and Poe knew what the heavy load was.

Failure.

At that moment, Poe realized that whether if Skull Boy had magic because of his bones or not, he needed to harness his power, hone it.

That, and it was the only way to get home.

"Wouldn't he need training to survive that competition?" Poe wondered aloud.

"Don't worry. Rad is one of my best students, young but capable. He can teach Skull Boy here. I'm glad that you are concerned for him though. Belle and Lamef, go to your rooms. Rad, learn more about Skull Boy here."

"Oh, well, I am the adult. I simply cannot imagine what he would be like without me!" Poe sighed.

While Poe and Master Thorpe converged to discuss the details of Skull Boy's training, and the other two wizards had waved good-bye, the young Mage hissed at Skull Boy.

"Okay, listen up, freak show. I'm going to tell you how it's going to be, I'm going to be like no teacher you've ever had in your life. I have my own style and my own way of doing things. You better perfect every move and if you can't even stretch properly, believe me, I will make you do it until you have mastered it. And remember, just cus' you were able to kick our butts, does NOT mean you're 'special', we were just taken by surprise. You got it?"

Nobody would have ever suspected that Rad had been insulting the skeleton the moment the adults came. He shot them a disarming smile before bowing cordially and exiting the room, leaving behind two pleased elders and one bewildered skeleton.

"Maybe I'm the direct descendent of someone who never gets their wish..." He thought to himself.

"Well, Master Thorpe says that your training starts tomorrow." Poe cheered.

Not wanting to make Poe panic, Skull Boy faked a smile,

"That's great, Poe!"

"I know! For now, I'll be doing a spot of reading tonight... got to keep the brain fit you know... all those neuroses and dendrites and axons won't exercise themselves."

"Don't you mean neurons?"Skull Boy arched an eyebrow.

"No, I meant neuroses."

"Poe, why would you want to keep a mental illness?"


	9. What the bones?

**_Wizard Woes_**

**Author's Note: Sorry this was late! They actually made us go back to school for... wait for it... an **EXAM**! I had to quickly prepare, I was informed about this just a week ago! I just hope I don't fail. Still, this chapter's quite short.. but we are almost at the end... so, come on! Read the words below, click on the review button and just tell me how I can write better! **

* * *

"So, what are we eating today?" Skull Boy asked as he stared at the bubbling pot.

Belle, the only girl in the entire room, picked a bundle of herbs, pulled off three leaves and threw them in the weird concoction before closing the lid shut. She finally replied,

"A potion that's a great energy booster. If not, we can use it as a salad dressing." Belle explained as her beady emerald eyes scanned the book propped open before her. She gestured to the crow that he should open the pot.

"Why do potions smell horrible?" He lifted the lid of the pot, trying not to drop it back with a clatter to prevent he frowned at Belle.

The reek of it was unwashed feet, mushroom and rafflesia mixed together.

Oh wait a minute, they were mixed together.

Except the unwashed feet... then again, he did step out for some fresh air five minutes ago...

Anyway, combined with the basil and mint (and the possible unwashed feet) from the pot, Skull Boy had to fight the urge to gag and thanked heavens that they did not have to add any more revolting ingredients.

"That... or it could be used as poison. Belle's quite good at giving people stomach aches. She's a Stomach Mage!" Lamef chuckled until Belle rapped his knuckles with a wooden spoon, provoking a whimpering yelp from him.

Within the space of two seconds, two of Skull Boy's attackers became his friends. Lamef talked non-stop. Skulls couldn't have gotten a word in edgewise, even if he tried. Not even Poe could offer his view on whatever topic 'they' were discussing. In five minutes, they knew everything about Lamef: his favorite food, the names of every single friend he'd had since elementary school, and last but not least, why he and Belle were here. Much to Poe and Skull's shock, Belle and Lamef were actually siblings! Surprising, truly.

They squabbled over the most inane things, constantly insulting each other and of course their personalities clashed, what with Belle being a quiet yet intimidating girl and Lamef's sunny demeanor.

Give Belle a novel, and she would be quiet for the rest of the day, with the occasional sobbing. If Lamef had one in his hand however, he would just flip through it before laughing his lungs out at one of the character's predictable death. Make them listen to pop music and Belle's ears will just bleed while Lamef will dance to the beat of the drums.

It was the first time he had ever interacted with them. Poe was right. They really were nice... well, compared to Rad at least. Poe was lucky, he could hang out with them, being so free. Most of Skull Boy's days there were dedicated to mastering water. True to his word, Rad was the very definition of work, despite not controlling the adaptable element. Rad seemed to know everything about it. They trained at odd hours and he was always focused and harsh. Skull Boy had forgotten the meaning of 'break time' the moment he met the Air Wizard. His personality deficits aside however, Skull Boy was glad that he was his teacher. He was a skilled and dedicated teacher. He unselfishly shared knowledge with Skull Boy. It did not seem that Rad allowed his disdain for the skeleton to affect his objectivity when it came to teaching Skulls. Skull Boy was a diligent student and his mastery over the element came rapidly. His progress was so swift, that Rad had reluctantly confessed to Lamef, who blabbed it to Skull Boy, that he would probably at least win a bronze trophy for the competition and a wish.

Poe was amidst rattling of some poem about toothbrushes to the amused siblings and skeleton, when Rad burst through the doors, looking like a buffalo ready to charge at someone.

"Rad, what's wrong? Someone wanted to touch your books?" Lamef smirked.

"No, worse. Rain's back. In the competition itself." Rad hissed.

At that, everyone froze. All Skull Boy and Poe could do was to blink in confusion.

"Wait, the competition is being cancelled... because it's raining? I thought it was held indoors."

"Of course it is! Rain is the name of another WATER WIZARD! Rain Whirlpool is very skilled, learning the element for 5 years and you have had only 5 days of training! And he's apparently one of the obstacles, the last one! You have to defeat him to JUST get a bronze!"

"But isn't be your brother, Rad?" Lamef asked before Belle delivered a thorn to his shin. As Lamef yelped in pain, Rad glared at Skull Boy.

"Yes... but relationships do not matter. He's only my step-brother anyway. My real brother's in... some place. Still, you better have been practicing!"

Rad's words held a bitter tone and images of Ruby and the gang filled his mind like a tornado. His family... sure, they were not blood-related but they were like one, happy unit. They did everything together, going on adventures, reading, making movies or plays even. Yet Rad, who had a group with the same blood flowing through their veins, did not want to call it a family. What had caused him to be like that? Trying to ignore his train of thoughts, Skull Boy mumbled.

"Don't worry, I'm ready... I think... what happened to just participating? I thought Master Thorpe said I could go home, win or loose!"

"Yeah, the catch is that if you loose, you will loose your most valued item when you go home..." Rad sighed.

"WHAT?!" Skull Boy exclaimed, only to have his skull rotated all the way around when Rad conjured a mere gust of wind.

"Get a hold of yourself, thick skull! At the very worst, you can choose Belle or Lamef to come with you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, who do you want?"

Honestly, Skull Boy was doing a major boogie dance inside. His chances of going home would be increased!

"Yes, but I'll be choosing... I have taken the time to think about this and... it's Rad." Master Thorpe said upon entrance.

Before Rad could protest, and boy was he going to, Master Thorpe held up a furry arm,

"Air and water are closely related. They can benefit each other. Furthermore, Lamef and Belle have already participated in this."

"We did?" Belle arched a trimmed eyebrow before a tongue of fire licked at her hand, leaving a small burn. She yelped as she quickly dashed towards the bathroom, reminding herself to send her brother to the moon.

Of course, he might have company there, judging by Skull Boy's moans and Rad's groans.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Wizard Woes**_

**Author's Note: Hello? Got nothing much to say except...PLEASE REVIEW! XD  
**

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Time passed, and finally it was the day of the competition. Poe, Lamef and Belle all exclaimed on how quickly it had crept up upon them. Skull Boy and Rad, however, thought the exact opposite. After tiring days of sparring with Rad, Skull Boy was ready to collapse. Even Rad was beginning to show signs of fatigue, with the dark circles under his eyes. It was all worth it though. Whatever Skull Boy needed to know, he knew. All Skull Boy could do now was to wait for the minutes to pass by. Strangely, Rad firmly believed that before a competition, one should unwind. The competition was held at noon, and he and Rad would teleport there, much to his chagrin. Teleporting was so nauseating, what with all the weird colours and strange crescendo sounds. Then the skeleton decided that he really should unwind so he pushed away his dreadful thoughts and began relaxing

His form of relaxing now was apparently arresting Poe, who was cornered to the brick walls.

"Good try Patty Poe, but you ain't good for my cuffs!" Skull Boy, now Sergeant Skulls, hissed. He definitely played the part well but Poe begged to differ.

"Wait, why are you dressed like that?" Poe gestured to Skull Boy's outfit.

Currently, Skull Boy was in his normal attire, armed with a small water-gun.

"Well, I'm a policemen... a plainclothes policemen... and I'm arresting you."

"FOR WHAT?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TELL EVERYONE WHAT CRIME I HAVE COMMITTED!"

"Er.. you ate my piece of marble cake?"

"Yes! For goodness sake, you're the one related to a long line of policemen, yet I am better at you in this field!" Poe huffed as he flew around Skull Boy to perch on the armrest of a nearby sofa.

"Well, I'm still a newbie. And I'm kinda busy with a case. It involves a hot-tempered Air wizard." The skeleton sighed, plopping on the sofa.

"Ah, you and Rad not getting along, I see. Well, think of it this way...,"

...?

",... er... hold on, I am trying to look on the bright side to this situation..." Poe admitted before the shrill ringing of a bell scared the feathers out of him. Poe squawked briefly before Skulls sat up straight and gulped.

"It's time."

* * *

Mobile stalls selling drinks, French fries and hot-dogs, were enjoying brisk business. Poe glanced at his ticket which read, "Tier 5; Section A110; Row 10; Seat No. 1."

The great indoor stadium sat more than sixty thousand screaming fans. According to Lamef, most were from other dimensions or other planets. The fans were clad in their respective team shirts. So by the time Poe had fought his way to his front row seat, he was a mess.

His shiny feathers were ruffled, his top hat was crunched and worst of all, a button was missing from his wrinkled purple coat. Nobody would have guessed that he spent an entire hour preening for the event. After 3 minutes, with the screams of the fans growing louder and wilder, he checked his pocket watch.

"They're so late!" He grumbled to himself. Before Skull Boy left, the skeleton had told Poe that they might be a few minutes late, muttering something about heavy armor.

"That's because they're still getting ready, this won't happen overnight but I think they're almost ready!" Someone chirped.

Poe whipped around to face Belle and Lamef. Lamef, seated on Poe's right, sported a black hoodie and baggy jeans while Belle, on Poe's left, chose a short black dress that hugged her curves.

Minutes later, from the secluded corners of the stadium, three maidens cloaked in silks and wearing pointed hats with veils appeared with three stone jars. They set them at the very centre of the stadium. They all seemed to have symbols emblazoned on them. Once the last jar was placed, dust danced and swirled in front of the spectators and just as quickly as the dust appeared, it went away, to reveal a man, if you could call him one. He had the body of a wrestler, evident even under his blue robes but his face belonged to an owl. Its keen, black eyes surveyed the shocked crowd before it spoke in a thundering tone,

"I am the wizard, Kranji. I won last year's battle and now, I am going to see who the winner is this time. It can be any of these four wizards." He announced before raising his right.

Out of the blue, two boys appeared on his right, both of them wearing robes that were stained red from the enemies slain by them. They could have passed off as twins, what with the same chiselled faces, exact pale skin and their icy blue eyes. The only obvious difference, was that they had different hair colour. One boy's hair appeared to be entirely dyed green while the other was like a starless night sky. Still, if one looked closely, they could see that while they had the same eye colour, their contrasting personalities shone through them. The green-haired boy's shined with curiosity and gentleness. However, his partner's seemed to be banked blue fires that were capable of burning through everything. They were apparently well-known, judging from the thundering applause they received. As a matter of fact, the only ones who didn't clap were a seething Belle, a disappointed Lamef, and a confused Poe.

"Who are they?"

"The green hair dude? Firma. The creepy one?_ Rain. _They're both in MC Universe. Magic Centre Universe. The only other school. And it has better facilities." Lamef huffed.

"Not good enough magic though. Every time, they loose." Belle hissed.

"Yea, but Rain is a Master. He could easily overcome any obstacle. And Skulls, while he is superb considering he has had only a few days of training, is not as good as Rain." Lamef sighed before Kranji silently raised his left wing, displaying Rad and Skull Boy. Poe gasped when he saw Skull Boy's wardrobe change.

Honestly, Poe was quite used to Skull Boy's ever-changing personae, which involved a change of clothing now and then. But this attire was definitely the most bizarre of all, even when it's compared with Skull Boy's "BatBoy Costume". And that was saying a lot.

Instead of wearing his usual black turtle neck and sanded jeans, he was now in an exquisite black silk robe, with the hood pulled up over his head. Vivid green eyes looked out from the shadows of his hood embroidered with white swirls, scanning the area before he turned to Rad, who was modelling the same attire.

"Wow!This place is huge! Wouldn't it be great if I could take a photo? Since I'm related to a long line of photographers, I know that this is the perfect angle!" Skull Boy grinned, producing the latest camera from his robes... until Rad snatched it from him before smashing it all together.

"Hey, we can't bring anything here, dummy! Only things allowed in this area, magic and the mind. Of course you wouldn't know this, you're only a few days old. Yet, I have to work with you." Rad hissed.

Skull Boy scowled. Was this why Rad hated him? Petty jealousy?!

Even if Rad was the last person he wanted to be with, he was glad that Rad was with him. While hot-tempered and rude, there was no denying his natural talent. Furthermore, this competition was based on skills. If creativity was needed, Skull Boy would go. If speed was needed, Rad was up. They did not have to work together. Just do their best. They did not even need to interact with each other. Just get this over and done with.

"Now, there are three rounds in this competition, each testing the components' skills in... quick-thinking...,"

As Kranji rattled off the traits needed to pass each round, Rad and Skull Boy actually began grinning together at the same time. Usually, when one of them was smiling, the other was frowning. Both of them had those skills, and they had been honing them.

",... and finally, teamwork." The wizard finished.

Rad groaned and felt like kicking himself. What had possessed Master Thorpe to do this to him?! Yes, he knew that the concept of teamwork had somehow managed to get into schools and competitions. He understood that students were expected to be able to work and function in cohesive units to obtain a mutually coveted goal. Indeed, Master Thorpe had such illimitable faith in his students' abilities to gel with each other. But get along with thick skull?! Not a chance!

Apparently, Rain noticed Rad's 'less-than-enthusiastic' reaction. He smirked, finally showing some type of joy... but it was not the one everyone enjoyed. **(I hope it isn't. But if it is... well, what can I say?)**

Skull Boy however, was too shocked to even make any verbal dissent against the owl. They were so doomed! Surely he could not just be paired with Rad and hope to achieve something excellent! Teamwork needed to be cultivated overtime... and he had only a few days to get to know him. All that he could say about Rad was that he was strict, rude, mean, bossy, a military sergeant that could put his possible Uncle, the legendary KK of Gloomsville Navy, to shame. Even if he was related to peace-loving hippies, one more insult could make him throw away his floral jewellery and put on his boxing gloves. Not that he had those items with him...

Only if they could at least get used to seeing each other, then would each strength be fully utilised to its maximum potential, and each weakness compensated for.

Then, he thought back on the horrible yet vital training that he had been put through. All the groans of frustrations, falling asleep in his bowl of mushroom soup, pains that he had to overcome during trainings, had culminated into a single goal of winning and going home with Poe.

He was not going to give up.

So, by the time Kranji had conjured up a shield around the spectators, broke one of the jars, retreated to an exclusive balcony, Skull Boy had set his jaw in steely resolve... before he caught a waft of something sweet.

He felt a bit light, then his brain started to birl in his head, sending his thoughts, senses and emotions cascading around.

The only thing he could process at that moment was that he was falling, along with the others.


End file.
